The Thunder tied the series at 1-1 with a Game 2 victory, but the Indiana Pacers have regained home-court advantage, and coach Rick Carlisle has already achieved his mission. The Thunder finished the regular season with a 68-14 record, while the Pacers only had 50 wins. Securing 1 road win against the league's top team is already considered a success.

The third game of the Finals, scheduled for June 12 (Beijing time), is known as a "mini 天王山之战" (mini-King of the Mountain battle). Teams that win Game 3 have an 80.1% probability of winning the series (480 wins, 119 losses) in playoff history, and Finals teams leading 2-1 after Game 3 hold a 50-13 record.
According to
Tickets.com, the ticket prices for Pacers' Game 3 have seen a slight increase. Courtside VIP box seats have surged to $29,000 each. Official ticket channels in Indianapolis show prices similar to Tickets.com, with many small VIP boxes exceeding $10,000. The Pacers are sure to reap substantial profits from this game.

The Pacers' home court has started arranging seats and decorations for Game 3, which will reportedly become a sea of yellow. Projections from BXR show the Pacers' championship probability at only 8%, while the Thunder hold a 92% chance. It's surprising that with the series tied 1-1, the Pacers—holding home-court advantage—have such low title odds.

PolyMarket, another US media outlet, gives the Pacers a 20% championship probability and the Thunder 80%. The Pacers have a 44.8% chance of winning Game 3 at home, while the Thunder hold a 55.2% away win probability, suggesting home-court advantage may be ineffective.
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